Thailand comes out tops

For those seeking a fresh idea for their next holidays, Expedia offers a list of the rising destinations according to air travel demand between January 1 and November 1.

Expedia analysed thousands of data points to identify the top travel trends and the results show that Thai travellers love exploring their very own backyard. Secondary cities like Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Nan, Buri Ram and Loei have earned popularity with non-traditional lodging options such as aparthotel and tentalows (tent bangalows).

Expedia crunched flight data from 2018 to determine the top travel spots and discovered Thai travellers are choosing to explore local destinations, which may not be surprising as Thailand has a lot to offer. From adventures to laid-back sandy beaches, and a delightful culinary experience– there is something for everybody.

Garnering more than 50 percent growth year on year from 2017, Thailand’s new Top 10 popular destinations are Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Nan, Buri Ram, Loei, Roi Et, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phitsanulok, Narathiwat and Ubon Ratchathani. International destinations include Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore and Taipei.

Hotels continue to be top choice of accommodation for Thais, who prefer the comfort of staying in a hotel or traditional resort, instead of roughing it out at other alternative lodging options. Despite the numerous long weekends and public holidays, Thais only stayed an average of 1.9 days at hotels.

If you want to experience these properties next year, beat other Thais to it by booking through Expedia’s mobile app – simply because it give you extra mobile-only discounts for hotels, and you can double your Expedia Reward points.

Expedia’s flight data confirms that travelling ahead of the holidays is bound to be hectic. For Thais, the most popular booking month is April and the least popular booking month is May.